Is there anything better than a cold, juicy watermelon on a hot summer day? Family picnics and summer holidays evoke childhood memories of fun times eating watermelon and spitting out the seeds.
Watermelon is refreshing, light and good for you. It provides a good amount of potassium and vitamin C, with smaller amounts of iron, calcium, vitamin B-6, magnesium and protein. It also contains a good amount of lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that can lower the risk of heart disease, certain cancers and age-related eye disorders.
Watermelon has a rich history, dating back 5,000 years to Southern Africa. Watermelons were bitter, drought tolerant and had hard flesh. They were used by tribes crossing the Kalahari Dessert because of the water storing properties of the fruit.
Watermelon harvests were first recorded in Egypt around 4,000 years ago. They were depicted in Egyptian hieroglyphics on the walls of their buildings and even buried in the tombs of kings to help nourish them in the afterlife.
By the 10th century, watermelons were finding their way to Mediterranean countries via merchant ships. Not only did they supply liquid for the sailors, they were used for trade and bartering.
The early bitter watermelon had a very light yellow flesh. Selective breeding over the centuries has produced the sweet red watermelon we enjoy today. The gene for the color red is paired with the gene that determines the sugar content. Hybridization (cross breeding) is how seed breeders create new varieties of watermelon, including the popular seedless watermelon. There are more than 300 varieties of watermelons cultivated today.
Colleen Cook works full-time as the Director of Operations at Vinyl Marketing in Ashland, where she resides with her husband Mike and three young daughters. She’s an insatiable extrovert who enjoys finding reasons to gather people.
While watermelon is great on its own, paring it with other fruit and vegetables makes for a wonderful summery, freshening treat. It’s easy to make a big batch to share at your next picnic.
Experiment with a variety of fruit and vegetables such as pineapple, berries, mango, peaches, cucumber, onion, or avocado. Also try changing up the lettuce (or leaving it out altogether), cheese and toasted nuts. Balsamic glaze is another way to add variety to your watermelon salad. You can also experiment with grilled watermelon and add other protein such as bacon or shrimp. Spice it up with jalapenos or a spicy chili dressing. The possibilities are endless…enjoy!
Watermelon, Blueberry, and Jicama Spring Mix Salad
Prep time: 10 minutes
For the Salad:
- 6 cups spring mix
- 2 cups cubed watermelon 1-inch cubes
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1 cup thin jicama strips
- 1/3 cup pepitas, toasted pine nuts, or your favorite nut
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta or goat cheese
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- Juice of 2 large limes
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint leaves
- Pinch of sea salt
For the Honey Lime Dressing:
Instructions
- Place lettuce in a large salad bowl. Top with watermelon, blueberries, jicama, nuts, and feta cheese.
- In a small bowl, whisk together oil, lime juice, honey, mint, and salt. Drizzle dressing over salad and serve immediately.
- Note: you can find jicama in the produce section. Peel and cut into thin strips.
Have fun in the kitchen!
